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16 Chinese nationals arrested in 'scam hub' in Manila -- BI

Philippines | National

16 Chinese nationals arrested in 'scam hub' in Manila -- BI

By Jeffrey Damicog

Sixteen Chinese nationals, one of them with an alleged detention warrant in his country, have been arrested in Manila, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado identified the fugitive as Chen Qinguang, 38, who is wanted in China for major economic crimes.

Viado said Chen was arrested by operatives of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) last Friday, Nov. 21, during a raid at Sunland Building in San Miguel, Manila.

“We suspect that this hub is a supplier of gadgets to be used by scam operators,” he also said.

During the operation, Viado said that BI-FSU operatives found thousands of gadgets and electronic devices traditionally used in online fraud or illicit digital operations.

The target of the operation was Chen who has an active detention warrant issued by the Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in 2019.

Chen was reported to have embezzled huge amounts of money from a Chinese company and the “stolen funds were diverted to his personal use like investment purchases and payments of credit cards.”

However, during the operation Viado said that 15 Chinese nationals were found and they failed to present valid passports or any legitimate immigration documents.

“This administration has zero tolerance for foreign criminals who treat the Philippines as a sanctuary,” declared Viado.

Those arrested are now under the BI’s custody pending their deportation.

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